Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-01-14
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James ~. a Wl-ENts n - AIAlAt@
ID southern BiFouac for January. Oh
'sBraex's Campei9n Around Chnffe-
nooga. thus describes Rockers
battle fn the Clouds
Tuesday morning. November 24th.
broke upon qur biTouac cloudy over
bead asd foggF aIs9a The surround
Jog mounsaina Goads and rolling j
mist obscared, like ) white heecy /
curtain, the upper three or four hun
dred feet Of ssOld Lookout" showers
fell Al Intervals An sminous siienee
reigned along the entire lines. IN
bfokea til about II 3. IA Then
the heavy boom Of artillery came
from beyond Lookout, and 81 eyes
were turned In that direction
Our position At the Watkins House.
midway across Chattanooga Valley.
gave Us full view Of the eastern and
northern slopes Of Lookout. includ-
ing the Craven House and Braggs
line Of inlrenchments and picketpits
on the broad sloping terrace north
and west Of L. About neon the
sharp and continuous rattle OF rifles
was heard along these lofty slopes.
snd as the clouds and mists began TO
rise and sway 70 and fro. We saw, All
at once, through the riffs in this roll.
ing curtain, = long narrow line OF
infantry moving steadily toward
those mountain breastworks, now
hidden by the changing mists. now
fully exposed to view again. De-
casionally the smoke Of their OWL
volIeys would mingIe with the sur
rounding mists.
General A. t. Stewart. who com
manded our division, and Colonel j.
1T. Holtxelaw (alterwaEd Briga6ier-
GeneraI1, who was in command OF
our brigade In the temporary absence
Of General Clayton, and . party OF
their officers stood. field glass In
hand, watching with deep interest
and establishment this evident attack
in heavy force along line deemed
so nearly impregnable that earth
works there seemed almost unHeces-
sary. Suddenly, as q cloud rolled
away, we saw our line of breastworks
swarming with men for nearly half
la mile and flags waving there
"What flag is that" was asked.
TRY the field glass. There, 1t is
plain enough. II Is the stars and
stripes"
| Impossible a Il seemed, our works
on Lookout Mountain had been
carried by storm in that half hours
lighting under cover of the fog. We
had been watching what has since
become famous as Joe Rockers
Battle in the Clouds To call 1t the
Battle Above the Clouds. though
somewhat exaggerated, is not per
haps 50 far wrong as some have sup
posed, for 81 times the cloud-veil
rolled partly below the combatants,
though they were never entirely
above it. This unexpected feat OF
unquestioned proves evidently in
J creased with our men the dishearten
ing effects of our loss of ground the
day before. How this feat was &C
complished by Hooker. though
mystery then, Is now well known
Marching his corps from Wauhatchis
at 5 a. M, he sent Geary's division
J down the western base Of Lookou
] that he might turn east, and, movins
obliquely up the western slope, coulC
reach the western base of Pulpi
Rock. Thence he was to pas
stealthily around the point, and sud
denly appearing on the slight ridg'
which extends north from its foot
, be was to take Bragg's most westerl,
works 10 flank aud rear. To diver
attention from this movement Hooke
made a demonstration with the res
OF his corps--holding Osterhaus' di
| vision in reserye-Aby marching to
wards Chattanooga Greek, and NOV
, ing Crafts division mp the slopes o
1 Lookout nearer the river. Geary &C
cOmplished his important part NOR
easily and speedily than was antici
! pated, because the dense fog so com
pletely enveloped the mountain tina
! Walthall's brave pickets knew moth
ing Of his presence, and did not SCI
his men until within q few yards o
them. The whole movement was
complete surprise TO Walthalrs bTi
gade, and though 1t made running
fight as best 1t could for half an hour
1t fell back a mile or more, and los
not far from a thousand men killed
wounded and captured. But rein
forcements were hurried up, and tn
Federal advance was held In checl
, the rest of that gloomy day.
General Pettus. so soon as he wa
|. Informed OF the disaster, moved hi
two nearest regiments-0ne of then
the Twentieth Alabama-at q double
a quick to WalthalIs relief. A stronI
position was taken by the tw'
, brigades along eraggy spur, el
tending eastward from the base o
palisades. Here sharp fusilade o
: rifles was maintained between tn
hostile lines till about ten O'Clock q
night. Late in the afternoon on
brigade - Clayton's-was marchel
!. from the trenches across Chattanoog
Z Creek by the bridge on the road frou
\ Rossville to Lockout, and, losing
. few men by shells from the Moccasi
; Point batteries as we were crossin
}. this deep ravine. we relieved Pettui
aad Walthalls wearied men abou
2 dusk, and together with Moore
: brigade held their rocky rampant
: tin after midnight The Tnirty-sixt
a Alabama-my regimeut-relieved on
! neighbors of the Twentieth Alabama
. our left extending, as theirs hal
9 done, to the very base OF the pal
? sadeS. The right OF our brigsd
connected with the left Of Steven
sons division. Here we maintainet
! lively fire with the enemy's advanc
! I'll after nine O'Clock, losing som
. men even by the random shots In tn
} darkness.
= Friends who remained Ia the valle'
. Informed US next day that the ride
|. flashes at night along the waviD,
! lines Of attack and defense, which
, extended eastward half q mile o
!. more down the mountain slope from
4 The beetling palisades, presented
. leRrious and beautiful sight, not IN
. like thousands OF sparkling fire.fiiei
! on a midsammer's night We wer'
I, not. you may well suppose, Ia
4 position just then 10 appreciate sucl